A long time passed.
Exactly how long this long while lasted, Shangguan Yunying herself couldn't say.
She only knew that she was immersed in that kiss, like a moth darting toward a flame, fully aware of the danger yet unable to extricate herself.
It wasn't until her lungs burned with the stinging pain of oxygen deprivation that she finally let go of Gu Chengyin.
As their lips parted, a moist sound echoed in the air.
Shangguan Yunying gasped for breath, her chest heaving violently, her cheeks so red they looked as if they might bleed.
A hazy, watery sheen still lingered in her eyes, and her swollen, moist lips gave off an alluring luster in the dim light.
An unprecedented sense of satisfaction welled up from the deepest depths of her heart.
She had kissed him.
Not passively receiving, but actively demanding.
Not in a deserted alleyway, not in some hidden corner, but in the bedchamber of the Crown Princess, right beside Her Highness's bed.
The thrill brought on by this insane act made her whole body tremble, yet it also felt incredibly exhilarating.
However, this exhilaration lasted for only a brief moment.
When Shangguan Yunying panted and raised her head, her gaze collided with another pair of eyes.
Right beside Gu Chengyin, less than a foot away.
Luo Zhao.
Her Highness.
At some unknown point, Luo Zhao had sat up.
Those phoenix eyes, usually so majestic and sharp, were now looking at her calmly.
No anger, no shock, no shame, no emotional fluctuation whatsoever.
It was as if she were watching something that had absolutely nothing to do with her.
Shangguan Yunying's heart completely stopped beating in that instant.
Her breathing stalled.
Her blood froze.
Time was suspended.
It was over.
It was all over.
Her Highness saw it.
Saw her take the initiative to kiss Gu Chengyin.
Saw her pin Gu Chengyin against the bed.
Saw her commit such a shameless act in the Crown Princess's bedchamber.
Shangguan Yunying's mind went completely blank.
But in the next second, Shangguan Yunying realized something was wrong.
Too calm.
Luo Zhao's eyes were far too calm.
So calm it was unreal.
If Her Highness had truly seen that scene just now, even if she wasn't furious, she should at least show shock, disgust, or the anger of being offended.
But there was nothing in Luo Zhao's eyes.
Like a pool of stagnant water, calm and rippleless.
Shangguan Yunying had seen this kind of look before.
This was not the real Luo Zhao.
It was a puppet of consciousness.
The real Her Highness had not shown herself.
This realization woke Shangguan Yunying from the abyss of fear.
Her heart began to beat again, her blood began to flow again, and her breathing grew rapid once more.
Just as Shangguan Yunying's thoughts were churning, Gu Chengyin also sat up.
His movements were very slow, his green robes making a faint rustling sound as they rubbed against the bed.
Then he turned his head, his eyes meeting Luo Zhao's.
The bedchamber was very dark, illuminated only by the moonlight filtering in through the window and the faint glow of the night lamp on the dressing table.
But this little bit of light was enough to illuminate Luo Zhao's face.
Absolutely beautiful.
The moonlight shone in from the side, casting shadows of varying depths across her face.
Her eyelashes were long and thick, casting fan-shaped shadows under her eyelids.
Her nose was straight, her lip color pale, and her skin emitted a fine, porcelain-like luster in the moonlight.
Breathtakingly beautiful.
Yet her eyes were so hollow it made one's heart ache.
That was not the look of someone awake, not a look of anger, not a look any normal person should have.
It was the look of being thoroughly controlled.
Submissive, vacant, devoid of emotion.
A perfect state of hypnosis.
Gu Chengyin narrowed his eyes.
His gaze swept over Luo Zhao's face inch by inch, trying to find even the slightest flaw on this flawless visage.
Was there any unnatural tension in the muscles at the corners of her eyes?
Was there an imperceptible twitch in the curve of her mouth?
Was there a momentary disruption in the rhythm of her breathing?
Was there a brief acceleration in the beating of her heart?
Nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
Luo Zhao simply looked at him calmly, her eyes hollow, her expression serene, her breathing even, her heartbeat steady.
Like an exquisite puppet waiting for its master's command.
Gu Chengyin's heart sank bit by bit.
Time and time again, he probed.
Time and time again, he confirmed.
Every single time, Luo Zhao displayed a perfect state of hypnosis.
Without a single flaw.
Without a single abnormality.
As if she were truly hypnotized.
As if...
Gu Chengyin silently repeated these words in his heart.
He remained suspicious.
But suspicion required proof.
And right now, all conclusions pointed to the fact that Luo Zhao was indeed hypnotized.
It was like a person who constantly did good deeds; you could call them a hypocrite, but what if they kept up that hypocrisy for an entire lifetime?
Her Highness... is awake?
Shangguan Yunying's cautious voice broke the silence in the bedchamber.
She had recovered from her initial fear, but her voice still trembled slightly.
Looking at Luo Zhao's hollow eyes, and then at Gu Chengyin's solemn expression, complex emotions surged in her heart.
Gu Chengyin shook his head.
His gaze remained fixed on Luo Zhao's face as he said with a slight headache:
Her Highness is not awake.
The one who woke up is not Her Highness.
These words were spoken quite cryptically.
Shangguan Yunying bit her lower lip lightly, then suddenly raised her hand and smacked Gu Chengyin.
It is all your fault!
The force wasn't heavy; it was more like a coquettish reprimand.
You scared me half to death just now! I thought Her Highness had seen us. If that had happened, I would be completely doomed!
Shangguan Yunying pouted, her tone carrying a hint of reproach, while she silently added in her heart:
Actually, I am already doomed.
The real Her Highness definitely saw it.
She just couldn't come out right now, couldn't express her anger, couldn't punish her.
But that didn't mean the matter was over.
Once Gu Chengyin left and Luo Zhao switched back...
Shangguan Yunying didn't dare to think about it.
Gu Chengyin let out a deep breath, then said:
It is my fault.
Then he said to Luo Zhao:
Go back to sleep. Pretend I was never here.
This was a command.
In a hypnotic state, Luo Zhao would unconditionally execute her master's commands.
Sure enough.
Upon hearing the command, Luo Zhao lay back down, her eyes slowly closing.
Her breathing became even and long once more, and her body settled back into a comfortable sleeping posture.
The entire process was natural and fluid.
Without any hesitation, without any resistance, without any flaws.
Like a precision machine executing a preset program.
Gu Chengyin watched silently.
Watched Luo Zhao close her eyes, watched her steady breathing, watched her enter a state of deep slumber.
No flaws.
He couldn't find a single flaw.
There truly wasn't even the slightest hint of a flaw!
Gu Chengyin didn't want to believe it, but he had to admit it.
At present, he could find no evidence to prove that Luo Zhao was faking it.
It seemed...
He could only get the answer from Gu Xiaoli.
Gu Chengyin turned his head to look at Shangguan Yunying.
The moonlight shone in through the window, casting half-bright, half-dark shadows across her face.
The blush on her cheeks had yet to fade, her lips were slightly swollen, and a hazy, watery sheen still lingered in her eyes.
Do you know where Xiaoli is?
Gu Chengyin asked, his voice very calm.
Shangguan Yunying froze for a moment, thought about it, and said:
Because you were coming tonight, I had her go to one of the other side halls.
You need to find her?
Gu Chengyin nodded. I have a small matter to discuss with her, but there is no rush. Tomorrow will do.
Shangguan Yunying nodded, her tone natural. Alright.
The bedchamber fell into a temporary silence.
Shangguan Yunying looked at Gu Chengyin, and then looked at the soundly sleeping Luo Zhao.
A crazy thought suddenly crossed her mind.
Since His Highness continued to feign sleep...
Since Gu Chengyin had already confirmed the hypnotic state...
Then, could she, perhaps, be a little bolder?
Things had already come to this anyway.
His Highness had already seen it anyway.
She was already doomed anyway.
Shangguan Yunying took a deep breath.
Then, she leaned in close to Gu Chengyin's ear.
Exhaling a warm, fragrant breath,
she kept her voice incredibly low, lacing it with a hint of provocation:
"Shall we... continue?"
saw a female celebrity tied up and stuffed in the trunk! Little did he know, countless cameras were aimed at him at this moment - this was a new type of reality show. The first randomly selected passerby was caught in less than an hour. But when Xu Moru was selected, things started to take an unexpected turn. "Damn, this isn't how the script goes. This Xu Moru is too bold, he's not following the rules at all." "Crap, is this guy taking it seriously?" "The female celebrity has been scared to tears!"
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
